Of course, Gwen and Corbin’s family had no way of knowing this. Corbin himself was usually a friendly man which is part of the reason why he was willing to take the chance and train Gwen when he saw her potential. There were some people in the tribe who were not so gracious; such as Merik, the young man who mocked Gwen when Sirus arrived. He seemed to have a vendetta against Gwen for punching him when she was brought to the tribe.
Gwen, on the other hand, wanted to show the best of what being with these people had done for her. And she felt the best way to do that was to be, mostly, open with her guest.
And of course, Sirus wasn't sure if he wanted them to know this either, a thought that led right back to his inability to move on from past experiences to a better spot of self-acceptance, and courage to move on to a new life.
The only one who suspected anything was “wrong” with Sirus was Rhes, mostly because of their conversation earlier and her “mother’s intuition”. The tribe had encountered other bounty hunters before, usually when they were just passing through so they never really interacted with them to the extent that they were with Sirus. And Gwen had only heard about them… So perhaps they thought his behavior was typical of someone with this job?
Sirus was growing increasingly wary of Rhes' perceptiveness, not sure if opening up would bring more pain or not. That and he was sorely unfamiliar with the inexplicable care and kindness of a mother. As for Gwen, he was actually rather glad she didn't seem to find him unusual. This of course was the same attitude he had for most nobles, who were usually inexperienced with his type.
Gwen did enjoy having a moment without her new shadow tagging along. In a way, Sirus’ presence reminded her of all the times she was escorted by guards in the palace. Not an unpleasant feeling but she liked to think she was no longer that helpless little girl who needed constant protection.
But aside from the reasons and emotions involved with Sirus' decision to hunt for his lunch alone, he was true to his words before, and at the appropriate time his big dark furry self was padding out of the treeline near the training fields, about the same area as they were this morning.
Gwen and Corbin were already at the training grounds, eagerly waiting for him. Corbin was correcting Gwen’s stance even though she wasn't holding a sword yet. And she was obviously annoyed by that fact but she doing her best to focus on the lesson.
(Hey! I haven't forgotten this exists I swear! I just… this week was the first official week of school and it hit me hard)
.
Sirus padded quietly in their direction, his furry self now completely dry, and even a little fluffy. Honestly, wolf fur is one of the softest things you can get, maybe not nightshade, as their coats tend to be thin and shaggy; best suited for chilly humidity. Either way, he shifted back midstride as he approached the pair, observing Gwen's frustration with a calm eye.
(Welcome back! It's ok. I'm sorry to hear that school started rough but I hope it gets better for you.)
Gwen let out a huff and furrowed her brow as she held the position for a moment before swinging the practice sword a few times.
Corbin sighed, shaking his head at Gwen’s attempted swordplay. Apparently, it wasn't a strong point for her. “She’s gotten better but… I don't know if I’m failing her because I don't use swords often or if she's just not meant to hold one.” he admitted to Sirus when he noticed his presence.
(It's not that it was rough, it's just… idk.. I have very little motivation to actually do shit. so…. yea)
.
Sirus shrugged, "I know nothing about swords, so I couldn't tell you to be honest." he said softly, observing her movements, "Your movements are a little off though." he said, speaking directly to Gwen, "You need to relax your shoulders."
(Mood)
Gwen spun around at Sirus’s suggestion, looking at him a little confused. “They are?” she said, though she sounded uncertain. She rolled her shoulders slightly and let out a slow breath in an attempt to follow his advice.
Sirus hummed softly, watching her a little more closely now. He noted that her stance was a little better, but she was still trying too hard.
Gwen’s main problem was most likely the fact that she was still trying too hard to mimic some of the maneuvers she had seen the palace guards use. The movements were too wide for her and some of her steps were a little unbalanced because of it.
Sirus eventually sighed and stepped in front of her, not enjoying seeing her struggle through movements that should be fluent and easy. "Gwen" he said softly, "Stop trying so hard." his face held a passive expression and his tone was gentle. "You're trying too hard to pull off the movements." He of course was intensely aware of Corbin's proximity, not wanting to interfere too much in his training, but it was near painful to watch her struggle with movements he'd seen other warriors pull off with ease.
Gwen froze when he walked up to her and lowered her practice weapon. “I have to try hard.” she told him, not backing down from his gaze… though it was a little disarming. “Becoming a warrior is very important to me and I have to work hard at it. If you have any suggestions on how to do this, then you're welcome to show me.”
Corbin stood back and watched quietly. Maybe Sirus would be able to help Gwen in a way he hadn't been able to.
"I already gave my suggestion. Stop trying so hard." repeated Sirus, "The movements need to be more fluent, less forced."
Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes. “I know what the moves are supposed to look like.” she told him firmly before handing the sword out for him. “You know what, you show me.”
Sirus sighed, then took the sword. taking a breath and mimicking the same moves she'd been trying to do a couple of times through, and by the third time through it was fluid, not exactly precise, but fluid.
Gwen crossed her arms stubbornly and watched him, trying to figure out how he made it look so much easier than when she tried. He did seem more relaxed in his movements and she had heard the speech about how a sword was like an extension of your arm… but she was still struggling to put that into effective practice.
Sirus went through the motions a fourth time, by no means no expert, as it was clear some of his own movements were uncoordinated. "You ever hear that phrase that the sword is an extension of your arms?" he asked quietly, offering the sword back to her.
“Yes.” she nodded, accepting the weapon again. “I’m able to picture it in my mind but I can't seem to get it to work right.” Gwen admitted.
"You need to focus on your own movements, not mimicking someone else's movements." he said softly
Gwen tilted her head, blushing a little. “Am I that obvious?” she asked as she mulled over the new advice.
"I wouldn't call it that exactly," said Sirus softly. "But you need to learn them in a way that makes the movements your movements."
Gwen nodded thoughtfully and looked back up at Sirus. “Any tips on how to do that?” she asked, willing to listen.
"Honestly, try thinking of it like a dance. You want every movement to be natural."
She nodded again with a small almost smile. Gwen knew how to dance, it was something that had been drilled into her almost as soon as she could walk. “I haven't tried that with swords yet… Though I can compare hand fighting to dancing easily.” she said softly.
"It's similar with any weapon." said Sirus gently, glad they were getting somewhere, "That's where the extension of yourself comes in."
“Alright…” she said as she started agreeing with his advice. “I’ll try it that way.” her voice was softer as she stepped into the stance.
Sirus nodded, backing out of her way so she could try it again, hoping this time she'd be able to get it.
